Cover for pressure vessels



June 10, 1952 L. T. PRITCHARD 2,600,021

COVER FOR PRESSURE VESSELS Filed Oct. 21, 1947 Z? /7 i 7 7 Z3 75 /g l I 7| II I I I I I l 7 1 I l y 3" 1 6 I I i 62 6 II I i 0 7% 1E5 A? E I Snoentor Zefz/ fPc'atcMaJ attorneg Patented June 10, 1952 25600,!)21 coves FoR; rnEssUREii/ SSELSi. LeviT': Britchard; Tulsa, kla:.,-. assignor: mama Commenter l ware;

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elm satie i.OQiQbQ 'AZ 1947, r a N 41 2 Glaims: (c1. zzc sas The. invention. relates to covers-- for pressure vessels, and particularlyfor liquefiers i used in connection with soda water'fountains, and the likepwhich areserviced, from timeto time, with solid; carbon. dioxide which liquefies or gasefies and; isutilized during a soda water dispensing operation;

Afurther objectis toprovide: a liquefier cover whereinythei compression .plate is carried by I a threaded. carrier plate. threaded into the liquefienopening, for. compressing: and expanding a gasketcbetween' the compression plate and carrieriplate. and to. mount the carrier plate in a hinged carrierzring into which the: carrier platetisiunscrewed so the carrier ring will swing horizontally on its hinging point: to :open or closed position.

A. further object is to. proportion the-carrier plate. and its threaded periphery; whereby it will not entirelythread. out of: the carrier ring when tightened against the gasket interposed between the compression. plate. andthe carrierplate.

A further object is to provide the carrier ring and the liquefier body with cooperating centering means for maintaining the; axis of the body carrier plate and ring in.- -per fe ct aline ment whentheclosureis movedito closed position for a sealing operation.

A further object is to provide adjusting means ii -connection with the closure hinge sothat the carrier ring canbeadjusted closer'to the liquefier opemng,--or--further away or circumferentially'so the end ofthe thread on the car rier 'plate will be in proper position for thread: ing into the end of thethead at the outer endof the liquefler opening.

A further object is to confine the gasket in a gasket groove in a manner whereby it will positively expand outwardly, and not squeeze around the corner of the gasket groove.

With the above and other objects in view the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawing, described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of one end of a horizontal liquefier showing the closure applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view through the liquefier end and closure.

Figure. 3 is an" end :view-i of: thexclosuras ands liquefien.

Figure 4 is. a plan'viewof tl'iehinge;-

Figure 5 is a perspectiveiview showing someax, offthe' liduefier thread andtthe end ofthesthreadi; on the carrier plate in proper position: to threads,

into the liquefier'opening: I

Figure 6 ie aplan' viewxofs the-scarriere'ring'i centering devi'ce. Figure? is a-collective-viewof:differenoshapedi gaskets whichwill-squeeze outwardly.

Referring to the drawing, thanumeral 1 l 1 de'sige; hates the liquefie'r body; which;.fori purposeszofi' illustration, is shown -in' a horizontal.-posi:tion,-. however, it is to-be understood: that the c'losuref maybe used in connection with: a vertical or inclined type if desired" Thebody l is formed froinlreavy v stainless stee1,'. and. designed to standahigh: pressures which at times :are asehigh-l' asa-twelvei to. fifteen hundred pounds perrsquare inch, andsit -iss obev'ious. tow-prevent escape-of 1 gas under suchhighz pressure, a: closure i mu's't be provided whichz-is not only: heavy, but-":constructed in a-manneri whereby a seal substantially perfect is obtained;

Hingedly' connected atwzito one side-of the body -l is an interiorly--threadedcarrierring 3;; into-which is'.-.threaded;lthe domezshapedicarriere Carrier plate 4 is of .sufficient. width.

plate 4. whereby its: threads: 5 will alwayswbeinterchga'ge'cl'awith some. ofithe thread oigthe carrier. ring'i 3,1 especially when inclosed: position,-. as show'n in Figure:- 2: The ..carrier:iplate--2 4 [hasmounted: thereon a dome :shape; compression; plate 1," having; a ibevelled edgeca, engaging the circumferentialshoulder 9 :withirr. the -body z L;

The outer side of the compression plate is provided with a threaded stud [0, extending through an aperture II in the carrier plate, and has threaded thereon a nut I2. Extending outwardly from the outer side of the carrier plate are arms 13 of a cross handle l4, preferably hollow, so a bar may be inserted for assisting in unscrewing the carrier plate from its sealing position, as shown in Figure 2. The compression plate is provided with a circumferential gasket channel IS, in which channel an expansible gasket I0 is disposed. It will be noted that the gasket I6 is narrower than the channel I5 so the gasket can not squeeze around the corners of the retaining ring H, which retaining ring is interposed between the gasket and the annular flange l8 of the carrier plate.

When it is desired to open the liquefier from the closed position shown in Figure 2, the nut 12 will clear the open end of the liquefier, the en- Y tire closure is swung to open position on the hlnging point 2. It will be noted during this entire operation that the treaded interengagement between the carrier plate and carrier ring is maintained at all times.

After the liquefler has been recharged with solid carbon dioxide the closure is swung to closed position, and to insure the alinement of the axis of the liquefler body, carrier plate and carrier ring, one side of the carrier ring is provided with a centering pin [9, which is guided to a centering position by the diverging fingers 29 of a bracket 21 carried by one side of the body. After the closure has been moved to closed position, the operator grasps the handle member 14, rotates the carrier plate along with the compression plate '1 until it threads into the open end of the body I. and this rotation continues until the compression plate engages the shoulder 9, and the gasket 16 is compressed and outwardly expanded into sealing engagement with the inner periphery of the body I, and this sealing engagement is further insured by the tightening of the nut l2.

The hinge leaves 22 are secured by means of bolts 23, which bolts extend through enlarged apertures 24 in the leaves and into the body I and carrier ring 3, therefore it will be seen there is a slight adjustment possible, circumferentially and outwardly of the carrier ring 3, so that the end 25 of the threads 26 in the mouth of the body member I, and the end 21 of the thread 5 can be adjusted for proper registry when the carrier plate 4 is threaded into the body I.

In Figure 7 the gasket is provided with an annular bead 28 for facilitating its outward expansion, and with a thickened side 29 for facilitating expansion.

From the above it will be seen that a liquefier cover is provided which is simple in construction, positive in its operation, and one wherein the parts are carried by a constantly maintained threaded engagement with a hinged carrier ring.

'It has been found desirable to prevent extreme compression of the gasket l6, and the mount of pressure applied thereon by the expansible action of the gas against the compres sion plate and the screw action of the carrier plate. To accomplish this result, the compression plate, on its outer side, is provided with an annular shoulder 1a in the path of the shoulder 4a of the carrier plate. It will also be seen that the carrier plate shoulder 42) extends into the annular channel la, consequently the compression plate is held in axial relation during the inserting and removing of the cover, and the carrier member when threaded inwardly or outwardly. By this arrangement, the life of the gasket is increased.

The threads 6 of the carrier ring 3 are slightly over size in relation to the threads on the carrier member 4, thereby allowing slight transverse adjustment or movement, so the compression plate and carrier can adjust themselves in relation to the axis of the receptacle I.

The invention having been set forth what is claimed as new and useful is:

1. The combination with the open end of a pressure vessel, of a closure for said open end, said closure comprising a hinged carrier ring carried by the vessel in reigstry with said open end, a carrier plate threaded for axial movement through the carrier ring, a pressure plate carried by the carrier plate, expansible sealing means between said plates and adapted to be expanded when the carrier plate is threaded inwardly into the pressure vessel, said carrier plate maintaining its threaded engagement with the carrier ring at all times the thread on the carrier ring being slightly over size in relation to the thread on the carrier plate.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 including interengaging flange and channel connection between the compression plate and the carrier plate, and forming means whereby said compression plate and carrier member are maintained in axial relation at all times.

LEVI T. PRITCHARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,226,766 Gammater May 22, 1917 1,961,298 Lundy June 5, 1934' 2,015,761 Muro Oct. 1, 1935 2,202,927 Schumaker June 4, 1940 2,258,804 Pfleumer Oct. 14, 1941 2,435,913 Wall Feb. 10, 1948 

